The present invention relates to a connector for detecting an incomplete fitting state when male and female connector housings are fitted to each other.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-67348A discloses a connector preventive of incomplete fitting as shown in FIG. 9. In male and female connector housings 60 and 70 constituting a connector, the male connector housing 60 is attached to a door panel in a standby state that the male connector housing 60 is projected via a holder 81 made of a synthetic resin. The female connector housing 70 is detachably fitted with the male connector housing 60 at the standby state.
The holder 81 is constituted by a cylindrical member 82 formed substantially in a shape of a quadrangular cylinder by upper and lower walls 82a and 82b and left and right side walls 82c and 82d, and a bracket 83 formed by being integrally projected from a side of the lower wall 82b of the cylindrical member 82.
A pair of slits 84 are formed at a center of each of the left and right side walls 82c and 82d, and an L-shaped flexible arm 85 is formed by being integrally projected from between each pair of slits 84. A projection 86 having a trapezoidal cross section is formed by being integrally projected from an inner side of a front end of each of the pair of flexible arms 85 and a slope face is formed at a portion rearward from each of the projections 86.
A pair of stoppers 87 for restricting a frontward projection amount of the male connector housing 60 are formed by being integrally projected from centers on front edge sides of inner faces of the upper and the lower walls 82a and 82b. 
Further, a clearance is provided over an entire periphery between the cylindrical member 82 of the holder 81, and a hood 61 of the male connector housing 60, such that the male connector housing 60 is slidably supported at the inside of the cylindrical member 82. That is, when the fitting of the male connector housing 60 and the female connector housing 70 is completed, these connector housings 60 and 70 are slid toward the door panel (the bracket 83 ) at the inside of the holder 81.
The male connector housing 60 is constituted by: a housing 62 having a plurality of chambers 62a for containing female terminals; and the hood 61 covering the housing 62. A base portion of the housing 62 is integrated to a base portion of the hood 61 by press-fitting or the like in an aligned state. The hood 61 is formed substantially in a shape of a quadrangular cylinder by side walls to serve as a guide for the holder 81 and the female connector housing 70.
A pair of slits are formed at centers of the left and right side walls of the hood 61 and a flexible retaining piece 68 is integrally formed in each of the pair of slits. Each flexible retaining piece 68 has a hole 67 to which the projection 86 of each flexible arm 85 of the holder 81 is detachably engaged. A width of each flexible retaining piece 68 is set to be larger than a width of the projection 86 so that the respective flexible retaining pieces 68 are made to be contactable to the side walls 82c and 82d at vicinities of the respective flexible arms 85.
When the projections 86 of the respective flexible arms 85 are engaged with the holes 67 of the respective flexible retaining pieces 68, the male connector housing 60 is projected from the holder 81 by a predetermined length as a standby state for fitting with the female connector housing 70. That is, by engaging the projections 86 with the holes 67, the retract movement of the male connector housing 60 relative to the holder 81 is restricted, so that the standby position becomes a position for the fitting or detaching operation of the male and female connector housings 60 and 70.
The female connector housing 70 is a block-shaped member in which a rear side of a base portion 71 is formed with a plurality of chambers 71a for containing male terminals, and a front side thereof is formed by being integrally projected from the base portion 71 to constitute a hood portion 72 in a shape of a quadrangular cylinder exposing the respective male terminals. The hood portion 72 of the female connector housing 70 is inserted between the housing 62 and the hood 61 of the male connector housing 60 in fitting the male and female connector housings 60 and 70 to thereby electrically connect the respective terminals of the male and female connector housings 60 and 70.
At a front center portion of each outer side face of the hood portion 72, a projection 73 is integrally formed so as to have a triangular cylinder shape such that a front side and a rear side are formed as slope faces 73a and 73b, respectively.
In such a configuration, the standby state of the male connector housing 60 is maintained by the engagement between the projections 86 of the flexible arms 85 in the holder 81 and the holes 67 of the retaining pieces 68 in the male connector, as an initial state of the fitting operation. During the fitting operation of the connector housings 60 and 70, the projections 73 of the female connector housing 70 urge the retaining pieces 68 of the male terminal 60 so as to elastically deform outward, thereby securing the engagement between the projections 86 and the holes 67.
When the female connector housing 70 is completely fitted with the male connector housing 60, the projections 73 enter into the holes 67 to release the engagement between the projections 86 and holes 67. After then, the integrated connector housings 60 and 70 slide downward at the inside of the holder 81 to complete an attaching operation of a switch unit onto the door panel.
However, in the above configuration, when the connector housings 60 and 70 are disengaged by disengaging the projections 73 of the female connector housing 70 from the holes 67 of the male connector housing 60, the male connector housing 60 is not always duly returned to the standby position thereof. That is, in a case where the connector housings 60 and 70 are subjected to a refitting operation, the standby state of the male connector housing 60 is not assured. Accordingly, an operator has to place the male connector housing 60 at the standby position, so that workability becomes worse.